Pune, Jan 26 (IANS): The breakaway Nationalist Congress Party-AP was left red-faced after its President and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar's son, Parth A. Pawar recently called on Gajanand Marne, a dreaded goon here.

Along with several party leaders, Parth Pawar - who became the first from the Pawar clan to lose any election, the 2019 Lok Sabha contest for Maval - visited the home of Marne as part of an outreach programme ahead of the upcoming parliamentary polls.

At the meeting on Wednesday, Marne’s wife, Jaishree was also present, and this resulted in huge trolling after their photos went viral on social media.

Questioned by media persons after the R-Day celebrations, an embarrassed Ajit Pawar himself attempted to clarify the situation, admitting that it was not appropriate, and said he took full responsibility for it.

"What happened was wrong… I am collecting all the details. Apparently some party workers took Parth and it should have been done… I will speak to him," he said.

Some years ago, Marne was inducted into the then undivided NCP at a meeting addressed by Ajit Pawar, but after his dubious track record came to the fore, he was expelled, while his wife was also a municipal corporator from Kothrud.

Marne has several offences registered against him and his name has also cropped up in the probe into the killing of a Pune don Sharad Mohol, near his home on January 5.

An NCP-AP leader revealed that the party has started a discreet internal probe into the incident, and whether it was a political ploy to defame Parth Pawar - who is likely to contest the upcoming elections - and action would be taken against those found involved.